Philosophy

In 2017 for the first time since World War II, a right-wing populist party entered the German Bundestag. What came as a massive shock to many political observers in Germany, was merely the expression of a trend stretching across industrialized countries for a couple of decades now: the return of the illiberal right. This course tries to find explanations for the success of the AfD and other right-wing movements or parties, with a specific focus on Germany and the East-West divide that less than 35 years ago still cut Europe and Germany in two halves. This looks for answers to questions such as: Why do people vote for right-wing populist parties? What lesson can the history of right-wing extremism offer for contemporary politics? Can the experience of forceful and rapid change among citizens of formerly Communist states explain the prominence of Illiberalism in Eastern Germany and, potentially, beyond? The course is divided into three parts, which deal with the past, present and future of Illiberalism respectively. For each part, the course undertakes an excursion within Berlin and discuss a Berlin-based movie to demonstrate how the traces of Illiberalism can be found throughout the city.

This course explores core issues in philosophy. More specifically, it addresses the following questions:
(1) Can we have any knowledge of the external world?
(2) Can we have knowledge of other minds?
(3) What is knowledge? What are the sources of knowledge?
(4) Is mind/soul irreducible to brain events?
(5) Can there be a personal identity relationship between the current and the past “me(s)”?
(6) Do we have free will?
(7) Does God exist?
(8) Is a benevolent God incompatible with a world where evil happens?
(9) Does human life have any meaning?
(10) Is it rational to fear death?
(11) Why should I be moral?
(12) Is morality objective? Can our moral judgments be justified?
(13) What is the nature of causality?
(14) What is law of nature?
(15) How do scientists explain the observed phenomena? Does science aim to reveal the reality hidden behind the appearances? 

Through an exploration of the wonders of the earth, living creatures, and the human body, the course aims to answers the question, "What is a human being?". The course discusses wisdom about human life and society that we may learn from the human body as well as the dignity of all living creatures. 

This course provides students with an introductory investigation into the question of if, when, and how ethical considerations can or must play a role in the practice of the medical profession. It makes students aware of the fact that the health sciences are not operating in a moral vacuum and that a good knowledge of both older and recent ethical debates in this particular field is of the greatest significance. This course consists of three parts. The first part of the course gives an introduction to some fundamental European philosophical ideas of what it means to be a human being. This introduction is accompanied by an introduction to the most important ethical theories of the West. The second part of the course discusses a general framework of medical ethics as it could play a guiding role in the day-to-day practice of those who are members of the medical profession or related areas. The third part of the course discusses some of the most important and well-known ethical problems that can be found within the medical field. There are lectures, discussions, and the study of cases that reflect the most important problems and topics that make up the moral challenges of the medical discipline of today. 

This course offers an opportunity to grapple with some of the most enduring challenges to human thought. The starting point is a conception of ourselves as free and conscious beings equipped with bodies that allow us to observe and explore a familiar external world. Successive lectures investigate alternative conceptions of the human condition, such as ones in which we are unfree, or non-spirituous, or inhabit a world whose fundamental nature is hidden from our view. Different conceptions bear differently on the further question of what we should value and why. Discussion is both argument-driven and historically informed. Assessment: attendance, quizzes, final exam.

We all want to be happy and to live a worthwhile life. But what is happiness? Why should we want it? And how do we get it? These are among the most fundamental questions of philosophy. Students evaluate the answers of major thinkers from ancient and modern traditions. They also consider the implications of current psychological research into the causes of happiness regarding the question of how to live well as individuals and as a society.

The course is an introduction to the central topics of the philosophy of language seen from a global, multilingual perspective. It focuses on the commonalities of the natural languages that allow them to generate meaningful expressions, to be about things in the world, and to influence and be influenced by what we think. Topics addressed in the course include the nature of meaning and reference, whether there is a universal language of thought, how language influences thought, if translation is really possible, whether we can have private languages, and how the languages of animals and machines relate to ours.

This course offers an introduction to ethics and associated philosophical issues. The basic concepts and techniques of moral reasoning will be introduced, along with some of the major moral theories. Particular policy issues in which ethical reasoning plays a crucial role are examined, such as justice, paternalism, globalization, international aid, and bioethics. Challenges to moral reasoning such as cultural relativism and psychological egoism are also examined.

Students study a range of epistemic issues that emerge in politics and political philosophy. Potential topics include democracy vs. epistocracy, deliberation, epistemic diversity, polarization, and the wisdom of crowds.